Here is a perfect example of how to hang simple panels. Rod is ABOVE the frame and extended onto the wall so that the fabric clears the glass. There is no need to cover higher transom windows. They look great unadorned. Here is another suggestion for transom and double hung. Transom plain and affordable matchstick blinds. And then there is the window treatment that takes care of it all. This is my #1 favorite…the plantation shutter. Not inexpensive, worth the investment, you can leave them as is or you can hang panels for more color, easy to clean, adjustable for any light/privacy needs and you will have them the rest of your life. If I were you and just starting out in a new home, I would do plantation shutters, and if budget-minded, do one room at a time.

I would paint your bookshelf the same colour as the walls and stuff it with, well, books! I would paint the built-in corner unit to match and just use it for potplants - ivy that hangs down would look good. As for the coffee table, if the room is small, what I did in our little family room was hunted around and found a large curved hunk of tempered glass from Freedom and it sort of 'floats' and looks invisible in some lights. Seriously, I think the line was called Ghost and was very reasonable (they also had a side table to match). Throw a bit of cherry red around and see how it looks with the creams and the taupes. Here is a pic of the coffee table.

adding some furniture helps identify traffic patterns and there's a direct line of sight to the view from kitchen, dining, living and lounge with a great northern aspect and plenty of wall space for furniture and artwork...the glass doors between the lounge and kitchen could be made a cavity slider inside the wall behind the fridge although the combined hinged and stacking doors as shown would be much easier to use...also consider having a single door opening between the living and TV room to have some wall space for furniture on both sides and create a sitting area for your parent (ie two retreats at either end of the combined kitchen family area) ignoring the awful colour scheme this picture is a 3d view from your kitchen sink and a building designer should be able to create much better scenes for you

Thanks everyone, again, a lot to think about! With regards to changing the structure of the house to make it more open plan - making one large living/dining/kitchen room is not something I want to do, it means getting rid of the 50s styling (inbuilt shelving brickwork etc) which I love about the house in the first place. It would also not be very practical for Hobart living, with freezing winters heating such a large space comfortably (initial heatpumps plus ongoing winter bills, without or without the wood heater )- would be completely out of my budget to be honest. I'm also not a huge fan of open plan living in general. The sunroom is effectively a 'tacked on' room to the outside of the house (load bearing wall). It was the original concrete deck just enclosed with plastic sheeting roof and walls, again a very costly renovation that I wouldn't be able to afford without years of saving. I'm liking these suggestions though- its all stuff that hadn't even crossed my mind. I think I will go with turning the bedroom into the kitchen and opening up the house from that side, I think that because it's a one bathroom property, it makes sense to me having 3 bedrooms and a larger kitchen/dining space. Thank you again for all your help and detailed responses :) Laura